Choosing your company's name is one of the most important business decisions you'll make. According to "Entrepreneur" magazine online, some corporations pay up to $35,000 to business-naming experts, which is a strong indication of the significance of a good company name. The name you choose for your business will become equated with your image and brand, so spend time choosing a name that will adequately represent you now and grow with you in the future.

Create a list of words and phrases that describe your business, products and services. Include words that express your business' mission and the image you want your company to portray. Using your list of words, experiment with word combinations to develop possible business names.

Select name options that are simple and catchy. A long complicated business name will be difficult for your customers to remember.

Create a name that describes what your company does or produces. Consumers should be able to know what products or services you sell by your company's name. Acme Services doesn't let consumers know what the business does, whereas Acme Office Cleaning is clearly a cleaning company.

Choose a name that can change with you if you expand your product line or services. You want customers to know what business you're in, but don't make your company name so specific that you can't expand your business to offer new products or services. Acme Office Cleaning Service doesn't allow expanding to offer home cleaning services, whereas Acme Cleaning Services does.

Conduct a trademark search to verify the name isn't already registered. Registered trademarks are protected from use by other entities. Using a name that is trademarked can result in a lawsuit, so it's important that you ensure your name is original. Visit the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office online to search the name(s) you're considering.

Contact your state's secretary of state's office to search for corporations or other companies that have registered your choice of business name. It is possible to use a name that is already in use if your business is located in a different area than the company using the name and it's not trademarked.

Contact your city or county government business office to search if the name is already filed as a fictitious name. Any business that has a name different from the owner's given name must file a fictitious name statement, also known as an assumed name or doing-business-as statement, with the local business office.

Select and claim your company's name. Use the name to obtain your business permits and licenses, and file a fictitious name statement with your local government business office. If your business is a corporation or limited liability company, register it with your state's secretary of state's office. Consider protecting your name with a trademark through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

About the Author

Leslie Truex has been telecommuting and freelancing since 1994. She wrote the "The Work-At-Home Success Bible" and is a career/business and writing instructor at Piedmont Virginia Community College. Truex has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Willamette University and a Master of Social Work from California State University-Sacramento. She has been an Aerobics and Fitness Association of America certified fitness instructor since 2001.